Tourists coming to Dong Hoi City (Quang Binh) often think about a romantic coastline, where have Nhat Le famous beach. Not much people knows that there are a freshwater lake next to Nhat Le beach in Dong Hoi, just over 100 meters, which is Bau Tro Lake . This is a landscape, is both a vestige zone with archaeological sites of ancient Vietnamese to leave.
Standing on a sandy hill of Hai Thanh ward to look down, we can see that sea and lake only a few inches apart. in rougt sea days, just think that the sea integrates into the lake. Strangely, despite nearly, the water lake is still fresh as the forest streams. Formerly, Dong Hoi denizen often taking the water lake to washing white clothers. Lake water seep mainly from the sand so very cool and saccharine, can bleach clothers. This is the only fresh water source provide running water for denizen of the city which was contaminated with salt water for a long time ago.
Surrounding the lake is the range of green casuarina trees emerging on the blazing sandy zone. In recent years, as the ecological lake environment has improved so many birds return to reside in forest. Visitors to the lake, nothing interesting than tie the hammock under a tree and listening to rustling of sea wave mixed the chattering of birds that take us to peacefully sleep.
In summer, when water levels shallow about a third down, the lake looks like a giant left foot mark. Locals still tell many legendary stories about this lake that is so deep that no bottom. Formerly, someone threw a grapefruit into the pool, then grapefruit Sen emerged in Sen Lake of Le Thuy District. Perhaps this legendary stories to tell that the water source never dry, even in many months of hot summer.
In summer 1923, two French information members of the Vien Dong Bac Co School are Max and Depiruy who had discovered archaeological sites at Bau Tro. Late this summer, Etinen Patte, the geologist cum archaeologist excavations had organized excavation and published objects of prehistoric Neolithic period. These objects include many stone axes, pieces of deprivation, two pieces of quartz, grinding table of broken pottery pieces... In spring 1980, Hue General University had held re-excavation Bau Tro sites at a distance 40 meters from lake's edge, higher water surface about 2.3 meters, far from hole excavated of Patte more than 100 meters toward the west. Collected objects included several axes, stones, sharpening tables, grinding pestle, spearheads, and countless pieces of broken pottery pots, earthenware pots, vessels, ...Since then, the archaeologists took the site’s name to name the late Neolithic culture that were distributed in the coastal of Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Thua Thien is Bau Tro culture.